Kim and Kanye spark airport investigation

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West sparked a serious investigation after being allowed to skip a security checkpoint in JFK airport.

The couple was escorted past a key checkpoint in the New York airport by an airline greeter, in what has been called a major security violation, while rushing to catch a connecting flight to Los Angeles after arriving from Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for American Airlines told gossip website TMZ.com: "This was a lapse in judgment by one of our employees. We're working closely with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and speaking to the individuals involved to better understand what happened."

The reality TV star and her rapper boyfriend of almost a year were partially to blame for their onward flight to LAX being delayed by 50 minutes because of the incident.

The couple were initially allowed to board their plane and take their seats on the flight but were soon pulled off and forced to go through another security checkpoint after staff noticed they had been ushered past the previous one.

TSA agents allegedly screened the couple before being allowed to re-board the flight.A spokesperson for the TSA insisted the high profile couple, who are expecting their first child in June, was not to blame for the security breach, explaining: "An airline employee escorted the two travelers through a non-public area in order to provide expedited access to their domestic flight.

"In doing so, the airline employee violated security protocols by permitting the travelers to by-pass the TSA security checkpoint. TSA officials learned of the violation and conducted a private screening of the two passengers in the area of the jet way.

"The passengers were cleared to board their flight, which departed after a delay of approximately 50 minutes. TSA is actively investigating the incident."

The couple spent a long weekend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where they were enjoying their second babymoon before the birth of their first child as Kardashian, 32, has been warned she needs to reduce her stress levels.